Head-to-head comparison
Northcentral Technical College vs Blackhawk Technical College: which has better ROI?
Option A Wausau, WI
Northcentral Technical College
- Net price / year
- $10,303
- Earnings, 10 years
- $44,925
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Janesville, WI
Blackhawk Technical College
- Net price / year
- $9,330
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,620
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Northcentral Technical College comes closer — median earnings $44,925 against a $41,212 total, vs $41,620 at Blackhawk Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Northcentral Technical College | Blackhawk Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $10,303 | $9,330 |
| Total net cost | $41,212 | $37,320 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $44,925 | $41,620 |
| Median debt | $7,500 | $9,550 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$109,912 | -$172,120 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Northcentral Technical College or Blackhawk Technical College?
Blackhawk Technical College, at $9,330 a year after aid versus $10,303 — a gap of $973 a year, or $3,892 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Northcentral Technical College or Blackhawk Technical College graduates earn more?
Northcentral Technical College graduates report a median $44,925 ten years after entry, $3,305 more than the $41,620 at Blackhawk Technical College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, Northcentral Technical College or Blackhawk Technical College?
Northcentral Technical College: its completers carry a median $7,500 in federal loans versus $9,550 at Blackhawk Technical College, a difference of $2,050. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
45% of students finish at Northcentral Technical College, against 34% at Blackhawk Technical College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.